The European Union’s Committee of.

This paper analyzes the Committee of the Regions (COR) of the European Union (EU) at three levels: first, in its opinion issuing capacity, as it expresses the views of its members on porposed and existing EU legislation and policies; second, in its role in representing local and regional authorities institutionally within the EU; and third, how it manifests or embodies the principle of subsidiarity in the EU. After a brief description of the COR’s opinion writing powers, the first part of the paper examines the opinions issued by the COR. Opinions from 1996 through 2002, are categorized in the paper’s analysis, by (COR) Commission or policy area, and by whether the opinion is mandatory or self-initiated (the latter have increased in number and arguably indicate where the COR would like to have a greater say). From this analysis a sense of the COR’s priorities can be gained, and, by determining whether there are significant differences by (national) rapporteur, whether there are important national differences within the COR. The paper concludes that there are differences, but that a COR position nevertheless obtains. The second part of the paper briefly describes the membership of the COR, its elected local and government members; but more importantly, begins to address, and identifies, whether and on which issues (of COR responsibility) the respective national governments of the members support or don’t the COR’s efforts to expand its writ. A number of generalizations are offered that relate national government type, federal or unitary (or some variation) and support for or opposition to a greater role for the COR - and through the COR for constituent local and regional governments. The final part of the paper elaborates on how the COR embodies, in theory and in EU treaty and law, the principle of subsidiarity: that is, the paper spells out how the principle of subsidiarity implies more than national sovereignty, or national autonomy vis-a-vis the EU, but a significant representative role for local and regional authorities at the supra-national level in the EU. The paper relies primarily on EU documents, particularly from the COR, but including as well relevant provisions in EU treaties and law; secondary empirical, historical, and philosophical sources are also relied on, particularly in the analysis of COR opinion writing and in treating the origins and applications of the concept of subsidiarity.This [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]